Rossella Jardini blooms again in the fashion garden

True fashion comebacks are a thing of wonder. Last February in Milan, we witnessed one such momentous occasion as Rossella Jardini presented her debut collection under her own name in the Grand Hotel et de Milan’s bar, visited by many a-foremost fashion byline. Is the name unfamiliar? Despite a two-year absence, you might still remember Jardini as the creative director of Moschino who succeeded its late founder and helmed the house until Jeremy Scott drop-kicked it onto the pop-culture arena in 2014.

Velvet roses greeted guests at the entrance, the ambiance was high society ladies enjoying their dolce vita at the bar and immortalizing those moments in the foyer. Unpretentious, this collection doesn’t look to create a design stir, just a surge of desire for simply beautiful pieces. And who could say no to lamé pajamas or the promise of a ruffle-cuff blouse under an oversize sweater? Would you be more society doyenne in a richly printed trench with geometric accents or fashion-forward signora in a multilayered knit that resembles a fetching jumble of Post-It notes worn over wide trousers?

At the heart of all this stood Rossella Jardini, the impeccable hostess doing a no-less-impeccable comeback, receiving the well-wishes and effusive compliments of fashion denizens great and small.

How do you feel for your return?
I feel normal! (Laughs.) I’m very happy about this presentation and the collection but most of all, I’m delighted about all the people who have stopped by to say hello and show their support. I love my work, and I couldn’t leave the story unfinished in this way. So when a backer called and said he would like to start something together…

So how does one design a comeback collection? 

I wanted to express my true self. I am a woman who loves dressing other women, so of course, it had to be feminine, chic and not too complicated. They’re just clothes. Beautiful ones but ultimately just clothes.

How has the industry changed?
I think there are too many brands, too many clothes, just too much everything. What bothers a fashionista like me the most is seeing bathing suits in February when all I still want is a cashmere jumper. It’s still cold, no?

The cycle is out of synch. 
It is. It needs to stop shifting like this. Internet made things faster but what I truly want when shopping for clothes not of my own making is to discover new talent.
I love Simone Rocha for example, for her very feminine and poetic fashion. For those who love fashion and clothes, finding special things is important.

What place does fashion have in your life?
My life is and has always been about fashion. Of my childhood, all I remember are the clothes. Finding one’s style signature is essential. Sometimes I want to dress comfortably but that lasts about three days and then it’s tutus with jewelry. (Laughs.) I’m very eclectic.

So what kind of designer are you?
(Laughs.) I hope to see better dressed women in the streets. It’s important to have utilitarian pieces in your wardrobe for certain occasions such as bad weather. I’m the first to go for useful things when they’re needed! But for me, fashion is a game, entertainment. We should go back to clothing as objects of desire.

www.rossellajardini.com

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Lily Templeton

Writer, journalist, storyteller, editor - Based in Paris - Typing up a storm on real and virtual keyboards, thanks to a curiosity like a small gauge sieve, exploring the world of creation one question at the time.